TELL THE HUNTINGTON TO STOP KILLING COYOTES!

Driven by fear and misunderstanding, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, has been trapping and killing coyotes using cruel neck snares.

Despite stating that it knows of "no instances in which coyotes...have acted aggressively toward Huntington visitors or staff," The Huntington has for years maintained a "coyote abatement program," in which it pays a private trapper to snare and kill coyotes on its property. When The HSUS, Project Coyote, and Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) offered to help develop and implement a more humane, non-lethal approach to addressing conflicts with coyotes, The Huntington refused (read our joint letter here). It did, however, begin a weak and half-hearted attempt at implementing non-lethal methods of resolving possible coyote conflicts, but the killing continues.

This winter a security guard was allegedly fired after attempting to relieve the suffering of a trapped coyote by freeing her from a snare. He was so disturbed by the coyote's suffering that he filmed it. You can watch the video here (Warning: This video contains graphic content). There have been additional reports that at least one coyote has been left in a neck snare to die a slow, painful death.

When confronted about these issues, a Huntington representative defended their 'coyote abatement program' — which involves neck snaring and killing coyotes in the spring — as “appropriate.”

Snared coyote at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. A security guard was allegedly fired after attempting to relieve the suffering of this coyote by freeing her from the snare.

TAKE ACTION!
Use the template letter below to tell Huntington president Steven Koblik (skoblik@huntington.org) that a “coyote abatement program” that kills coyotes is unjustified and should be stopped immediately. Call on him to implement humane methods for reducing conflicts with coyotes, such as those offered by Project Coyote, The HSUS, and AWI.

PLEASE ALSO CC YOUR LETTERS TO THE HUNTINGTON BOARD OF TRUSTEES (names and contact information below):

Stewart R. Smith, Chair - ssmith@kinsmith.com
Paul G. Haaga, Jr. - pgh@capgroup.com
Anne F. Rothenberg- rothenberg.anne@gmail.com
Geneva H. Thornton- genevathornton@earthlink.net
Loren R. Rothschild - publicinfo@huntington.org

SAMPLE LETTER
(It is very important to use your own words so that your message stands out and has more impact)

Mr. Steven Koblik
President
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
skoblik@huntington.org

Dear Mr. Koblik:

I am writing to ask you to immediately stop the coyote killing program occurring at the Huntington and develop and implement a long-term proactive coexistence program to educate visitors and the public about how to coexist with coyotes and use humane deterrent methods if problems should arise.

Coyotes are a vital and natural component of ecosystems throughout the Los Angeles basin and play an important ecological role.

Neck snaring and killing coyotes every year is an ineffective, ecologically unsound, and ethically indefensible approach to mitigating real or perceived human-coyote conflicts. Conflicts can be resolved in a humane and effective manner without resorting to indiscriminate killing.

I urge you to cease your “coyote abatement program” and instead work with wildlife organizations to implement a proactive, humane program that prioritizes coexisting with, rather than destroying, Huntington coyotes.

Thank you for your consideration. Please let me hear back from you.

(Your Name)
Street Address
City, State, & Zip

cc: Stewart R. Smith, Chair
Peter K. Barker
Paul G. Haaga, Jr.
Anne F. Rothenberg
Geneva H. Thornton

Thank you for acting on behalf of Coyotes!